Post subject: I can't believe fake postal money orders are still an issue.

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:33 pm

Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:13 pmPosts: 7

I used to come on this board 3-4 years ago during the height of the fake postal money order problem. I'd physically encounter hundreds of these a day totalling upwards of $500,000 dollars/day. Currently, I may see about 100 of these daily usually totalling around $60K-$100. I know the USPS set up some type of group of individuals to combat this problem. But, I think they've failed in getting the word out on preventing the scam. Why not use the national meida and local outlets to inform the public. Periodically, the USPS wastes their money with little postcards that they send out to everyone for whatever reason is on them. Draw one up outlining the fake money orders. I know they'd like to see this problem go away, but they don't lose out on any money, so how much effort do they really want to put out?

Then they came out with a new design, and the funny thing is, the counterfeits more closely resemble the new stock than the old stock.

If anyone thinks they have some bogus money orders, you can get in touch with me, and I can tell without even looking at them if they are bogus.

I know the USPS set up some type of group of individuals to combat this problem. But, I think they've failed in getting the word out on preventing the scam.

Yes, they created the site http://fakechecks.org/ I was actually present the day that many of the victims stories were recorded. The thing about this site, and many others, is that people do not seem to find them until AFTER they have become a scam victim. I really believe that there needs to be PSA on televison and radio for the information to get out.

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Why not use the national meida and local outlets to inform the public.

We do. Our site personally has been on national news, MSNBC.com, Wired Magazine, and many other media outlets. The problem is that not everyone that needs to hear the info is tuned in when the story is on, so you have to repeat it over and over again . . . and sometimes the media will say "we have done that story, so we are looking for something new"

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little postcards that they send out to everyone for whatever reason is on them. Draw one up outlining the fake money orders.

I would LOVE to be able to do this, but all of this costs a LOT of money. My husband and I run this site out of our own pocket. I am hoping that some day we can raise money to do a PSA or mailers like you are talking about.

As far as the postcard idea, I meant coming out of the USPS' pockets. From time to time, they send little reminders and what-nots on postcards. They could easily make one up on this issue and send them out.

I've seen some of the previous news stories and such, but I guess it hasn't reached the masses. I like the PSA idea you mentioned.

I feel like we need to find someone who already works at the USPS and share our ideas with them.

Besides the PSA, warning signs at Western Unions and MoneyGram locations would help a lot.

Think about this . . . the Internet Crime Complaint Center's annual report estimated that in 2007 over $239 MILLION was lost by Americans to scams and fraud. That is in ONE YEAR! If you add up the money lost from 2005, 2006 and 2007 it is over $620 MILLION. Now, I have to ask . . . do you think our economy would be doing better right now if that $620 Million had stayed here in the United States?

Back in the summer of '06, I was invited to a conference in Washington D.C. by postal inspectors there. I guess my management didn't feel like it was important for our operation that I be there, so I didn't get to go. I do know it was going to be a collection of high ranking officers at some of the larger Banks, postal inspectors, FBI, and others. They were going to send some people over to Nigeria to try to infiltrate some cells in that country. I don't know how well that all went.

I don't think the money lost by these schemes has had any affect on the country's economy as a whole. I mean, $620 Million only equates to about $2 per U.S. American.

Individually, though, it has destroyed some people's entire lives. I saw one individual deposit over $90K in these money orders at one time. How did he pay back the bank? By emptying pretty much his whole retirement savings.

Previously, when people would come to me to find out if the checks they had were bogus, I'd have them give me the 11 digit serial number. If the last digit was different than what I came up with, I'd tell them they were fake. That's why, in my post, I said I can determine if an item is fake even without looking at it.

Previously, when people would come to me to find out if the checks they had were bogus, I'd have them give me the 11 digit serial number. If the last digit was different than what I came up with, I'd tell them they were fake. That's why, in my post, I said I can determine if an item is fake even without looking at it.

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